Department of Animal Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
Adv Exp Med Biol. 2024;1446:155-175. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-54192-6_7.
The bone is a large and complex organ (12-15% of body weight) consisting of specialized connective tissues (bone matrix and bone marrow), whereas joints are composed of cartilage, tendons, ligaments, synovial joint capsules and membranes, and a synovial joint cavity filled with synovial fluid. Maintaining healthy bones and joints is a dynamic and complex process, as bone deposition (formation of new bone materials) and resorption (breakdown of the bone matrix to release calcium and phosphorus) are the continuous processes to determine bone balance. Bones are required for locomotion, protection of internal organs, and have endocrine functions to maintain mineral homeostasis. Joints are responsible for resisting mechanical stress/trauma, aiding in locomotion, and supporting the overall musculoskeletal system. Amino acids have multiple regulatory, compositional, metabolic, and functional roles in maintaining the health of bones and joints. Their disorders are prevalent in mammals and significantly reduce the quality of life. These abnormalities in companion animals, specifically cats and dogs, commonly lead to elective euthanasia due to the poor quality of life. Multiple disorders of bones and joints result from genetic predisposition and are heritable, but other factors such as nutrition, growth rate, trauma, and physical activity affect how the disorder manifests. Treatments for cats and dogs are primarily to slow the progression of these disorders and assist in pain management. Therapeutic supplements such as Cosequin and formulated diets rich in amino acids are used commonly as treatments for companion animals to reduce pain and slow the progression of those diseases. Also, amino acids (e.g., taurine, arginine, glycine, proline, and 4-hydroxyproline), and glucosamine reduce inflammation and pain in animals with bone and joint disorders. Gaining insight into how amino acids function in maintaining bone and joint health can aid in developing preventative diets and therapeutic supplementations of amino acids to improve the quality of life in companion animals.
骨骼是一个大型且复杂的器官（占体重的 12-15%），由特殊的结缔组织（骨基质和骨髓）组成，而关节则由软骨、肌腱、韧带、滑膜关节囊和膜以及充满滑液的滑膜关节腔组成。维持骨骼和关节的健康是一个动态而复杂的过程，因为骨沉积（形成新的骨材料）和吸收（骨基质分解以释放钙和磷）是决定骨平衡的连续过程。骨骼是运动、保护内部器官所必需的，并且具有内分泌功能来维持矿物质的体内平衡。关节负责抵抗机械应激/创伤，辅助运动，并支撑整个肌肉骨骼系统。氨基酸在维持骨骼和关节健康方面具有多种调节、组成、代谢和功能作用。它们的紊乱在哺乳动物中很常见，大大降低了生活质量。这些伴侣动物（特别是猫和狗）的异常情况通常会导致因生活质量差而选择安乐死。骨骼和关节的多种疾病是由遗传倾向引起的，具有遗传性，但其他因素，如营养、生长速度、创伤和身体活动，会影响疾病的表现方式。猫和狗的治疗主要是减缓这些疾病的进展并帮助管理疼痛。治疗性补充剂，如 Cosequin 和富含氨基酸的配方饮食，常用于治疗伴侣动物，以减轻疼痛并减缓这些疾病的进展。此外，氨基酸（例如牛磺酸、精氨酸、甘氨酸、脯氨酸和 4-羟脯氨酸）和葡萄糖胺可减轻患有骨骼和关节疾病的动物的炎症和疼痛。深入了解氨基酸在维持骨骼和关节健康方面的作用，可以帮助开发预防饮食和治疗性补充氨基酸，以提高伴侣动物的生活质量。
